UPSC Editorials Quiz : 12 January 2024

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Seventy-five years ago, the UN General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at a meeting in Paris – laying one of the foundation stones of the international order that emerged following the horrors of World War II.

The declaration says that “all are equal before the law” and that everyone is entitled to “a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.” And it says that “everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.” The declaration enshrines the rights to freedom of religion; to freedom of opinion and expression; and to freedom of peaceful assembly. And it says that everyone has the right to education.

The declaration isn’t a treaty and isn’t legally binding in itself, but the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws and it is viewed as the basis for international human rights law.

It is recognized as having inspired and paved the way for more than 70 human rights treaties at global and regional levels, according to the U.N. “It inspired the decolonization movement, it inspired the anti-apartheid movement and it inspired freedom fighters all around the world, be it on gender issues, be it on LGBTIQ+ issues, be it against racism.

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Solution: c)

Statement 4 is incorrect.

On December 2, 118 countries signed a renewable energy pledge at the COP28 climate summit to triple the world’s green energy capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030, thereby, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels in generating energy.

According to the “Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge”, countries have to “double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements from around 2% to over 4% every year until 2030”. By checking the rise in emissions, governments hope to curtail global average temperature below the 2 degree Celsius temperature limit since pre-industrial times, if not the ambitious 1.5 degree Celsius of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The pledge is neither legally binding nor a part of the official COP28 calendar. COP28 also has the issue of tripling renewable energy on its agenda, the outcome of which is being keenly awaited. What the pledge does is indicate that world leaders want to be more active in checking global emissions.

The pledge was spearheaded by the EU, the US and the UAE and supported by Brazil, Nigeria, Australia, Japan, Canada, Chile and Barbados. India and China have stayed away as the initiative calls for phasing down of coal and “ending the continued investment in unabated new coal-fired power plants”.

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Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Crop Rotation: In this pattern, different crops are grown on an equivalent land in pre-planned succession. The crops are classified based on the time they are rotated one-year rotation, two-year rotation, and three-year rotation, depending upon their duration. Legumes are included within the crop rotation program to extend soil fertility. The crops which require a high fertility level are often grown after the legumes. The crops which require low inputs are often grown after the crops that need high inputs.

Solution: d)

A monopsony occurs when a market is characterized by the presence of just one buyer, known as the monopsonist. This market structure empowers the monopsonist to wield significant influence as the primary purchaser of goods and services from numerous potential sellers.

An oligopoly, on the other hand, arises when a small number of firms hold sway over a market. When a market is primarily controlled by a handful of companies, it is considered highly concentrated.

In contrast, a monopoly occurs when a single firm is the exclusive producer of goods or services without any near equivalents or substitutes.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

What is ground-level ozone?

Also known as tropospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface (up to 2 miles above the ground).

Notably, it’s not directly emitted into the air but rather produced when two primary pollutants react in sunlight and stagnant air. These two primary pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore, ground-level ozone is called a “secondary” pollutant.

Ground-level ozone is likely to breach safety standards on hot summer days in urban areas, but can also reach unhealthy levels during colder months. The pollutant can also travel long distances due to wind and affect rural areas also.